WOTA Concludes Agreement with Aomori Prefecture to Strengthen the “Inter-Municipal Wide-Area Mutual Aid Platform for Water Recycling Systems”
— In Preparation for Nation-Scale Disasters, WOTA Advances Efforts to Build a Mutual Support Framework for Daily-Use Water Equipment and Materials Across All 47 Prefectures, with Support from JWAD, the Platform’s Operating Organization —
WOTA Corp. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Yosuke Maeda; hereinafter “WOTA”) has entered into the “Agreement on Wide-Area Mutual Aid for Equipment and Materials for Daily-Use Water in Times of Disasters” with Aomori Prefecture.
This agreement forms part of efforts to build a prefecture-based wide-area mutual aid platform, strengthening frameworks to secure daily-use water during disasters through collaboration between prefectural governments and JWAD (Japan Water Association for Disaster), which organizes and manages the platform.
〈Overview of the Agreement〉
This agreement aims to establish a mutual support framework for daily-use water equipment and materials among prefectures to secure daily-use water and maintain hygienic conditions at evacuation centers and other sites during disasters.
Key areas of collaboration are as follows:
●Agreement Name: Agreement on Wide-Area Mutual Aid for Equipment and Materials for Daily-Use Water in Times of Disasters
●Objective: Establish an inter-municipal mutual support framework to secure daily-use water and maintain hygiene at evacuation centers and other facilities during disasters
●Key Areas of Collaboration:
○Provision of daily-use water equipment and materials (such as “WOTA BOX” and “WOSH”) from unaffected local governments to disaster-affected local governments during disasters
○Rapid information sharing among relevant parties during disasters (extent of damage, needs for daily-use water equipment and materials, schedules for equipment installation, operation, and removal, etc.)
○Aggregation and optimal allocation of equipment and materials with prefectures serving as hubs
○Development of preparedness arrangements during normal times, including training and pre-disaster decentralized deployment
○Support for inter-municipal coordination via the JWAD Secretariat
〈About the Inter-Municipal Wide-Area Mutual Aid Platform〉
The Wide-Area Mutual Aid Platform is an inter-municipal mutual support mechanism that enables daily-use water equipment and materials to be delivered swiftly on a nationwide scale to disaster-affected areas through an aggregation and deployment framework with prefectures serving as regional hubs.
By monitoring and cataloging equipment and materials dispersed across municipalities at the prefectural level during normal times, the platform enables them to be aggregated in disaster-affected prefectures when disasters strike. By assessing water demand and optimizing allocation, it aims to deliver necessary assistance within one week of disaster onset.
Through pre-disaster decentralized deployment, regular drills, and collaboration with relevant organizations during normal times, the platform enhances initial response capabilities, supporting access to daily-use water and the maintenance of hygiene at evacuation centers, medical and welfare facilities, and other sites.
The platform is organized and operated by JWAD (Japan Water Association for Disaster), which was established to develop nationwide wide-area mutual aid framework. For background and further details on the platform, please visit the official JWAD website:
JWAD Official Website: https://www.jwad.org/
〈Utilization of the Wide-Area Mutual Aid Framework During the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake〉
Following the Kumamoto Earthquake that struck on July 28, 2026, WOTA received an official request from Kumamoto Prefecture on July 30 and began setting up and operating showers at evacuation centers on the same day. Under the inter-municipal mutual support framework of this platform, equipment from across the country was progressively consolidated, starting with the arrival of eight “WOTA BOX” units from six municipalities in Tokushima Prefecture on July 31. More than 100 units were aggregated within one week, reaching a cumulative total of 142 units (“WOTA BOX” and “WOSH” combined) from 45 local governments nationwide. Through this coordination among local governments, by August 5, the initiative was able to largely meet the evacuation-center needs for which support had been requested by government authorities as of that point.
Subsequently, WOTA expanded deployment beyond evacuation centers to medical and welfare facilities, childcare facilities, and other locations, a cumulative total of 225 units (147 “WOTA BOX” and 78 “WOSH” units) across 88 sites had been deployed as of August 24 to provide emergency water supply and daily-use water support.
〈Future Outlook〉
To expand this platform nationwide, WOTA plans to progressively conclude the “Agreement on Wide-Area Mutual Aid for Equipment and Materials for Daily-Use Water in Times of Disasters” with prefectures across Japan. Through this effort, WOTA will establish a framework capable of rapid and flexible responses not only to nation-scale disasters* but also to large-scale disasters that may strike anywhere at any time.
*Nation-Scale Disasters: The Japan Society of Civil Engineers defines a national-scale disaster as a “mega-disaster with the potential to significantly undermine national strength and cause long-term stagnation in citizens’ living standards” (Source: Technical Examination Report on Countermeasures Against Mega-Disasters Bringing “National Crises,” June 2018; Japan Society of Civil Engineers, FY2017 President’s Special Committee, Technical Examination Committee on Ensuring Resilience).
〈Reference Materials〉
・WOTA Releases Progress in Daily-Use Water Support for the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake
・[Daily-Use Water Support for the 2026 Kumamoto Earthquake] As Water Service Restoration Progresses, WOTA Partners with Local Facilities to Launch “Minna no Shower” (Everyone’s Shower)—Bathing Support Open to the Local Community for Those Still Lacking Adequate Access to Bathing Facilities
【About WOTA Corp.】
WOTA is a private enterprise aiming for structural solutions to global water issues. Since its founding in 2014, WOTA has developed “Decentralized Water Regeneration Systems” and “Autonomous Water Treatment Control Technology” to reuse domestic wastewater to the maximum extent, addressing problems caused by unequal distribution, scarcity, and pollution of global water resources. WOTA has brought two products to market, contributing to emergency water access during disaster outages and improving public hygiene. WOTA has also developed a “Residential Water Regeneration System” for daily water use and begun supplying water in select regions in Japan and abroad.
Details: https://wota.co.jp/en/